LL Cool J Receives Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

LL Cool J became the 2,571st star to be given a spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Thursday morning (Jan. 21), joined by Sean "Diddy" Combs and Queen Latifah in front of the Hard Rock Café on Hollywood Boulevard, CBS Los Angeles reports. Both Diddy and Latifah have received the same honor.

In addition to being the first rap artist to have ten consecutive albums go platinum, LL also stars on NCIS: Los Angeles and has appeared in films such as Deep Blue Sea,Any Given Sunday and Grudge Match. “I’m grateful, this is pretty big for me,” LL said at the ceremony.

The honor comes a week after the star's 48th birthday, and three weeks before he hosts the Grammy Awards for a fifth consecutive time. It is no doubt his crossover appeal and expert showmanship that has earned LL the honor. In 2015, LL expanded his professional scope by becoming the host of Spike's Lip Sync Battle alongside model and John Legend spouse Chrissy Teigan.

The 58th Grammy Awards will air on Feb. 15 and are sure to be a big night for hip-hop and R&B. Both Kendrick Lamar and The Weeknd have been tapped to perform at the show, and face off against one another for the night's top prize, Album of the Year. Kendrick Lamar leads all artists with 11 nominations for his impactful To Pimp a Butterfly. The Weeknd meanwhile is up for seven awards off the strength of his album Beauty Behind the Madness.